The second time he watched the movie “To Kill a Mockingbird” in the 1960s, Les Lewis knew he wanted to be an attorney.

He gave up his pursuit of a teaching career, and then spent more than 40 years practicing law with inspiration from the movie’s lead character, Atticus Finch – that everyone deserves adequate representation by an attorney, even if it’s unpopular.

Lewis has since represented many people accused of dastardly deeds, and some people might hold that against him. But Lewis believes he’s always handled himself in the honorable way expected of him as an attorney.

“We don’t live in a society where when somebody is accused of something of a nasty manner, you just take the guy to a tree and hang him up,” Lewis said. “They’re entitled to all the considerations of the law, whether they’re innocent or guilty. I believe in that system, and I have no problem sticking up for the rights of people who stand accused of bad things.”

Now, as Lewis runs for New Hartford town justice, he believes that perspective will guide him to see both sides fairly if he wins the four-year judgeship.

Lewis, 73, is running against business owner Kevin Copeland, 57, in the Nov. 5 election. Lewis will appear on the Democratic and Working Families lines while Copeland is the Republican, Conservative and Independence candidate.

Because Lewis believes everyone deserves a fair shake, he said he has funded his own campaign without accepting any donations.

“I took no contributions from anybody or any group,” said Lewis, who filed his first expense disclosure report this week. “I didn’t want to ask anybody for anything, because in my position of possible town justice I didn’t want to be obligated to anybody for taking contributions.”